Choices
by Robrator
Summary: This is the story of one vampire's heartbreaking decision to choose between spending an eternity with his beloved or letting her go to have a human pain-free life. Choice is never a painless thing, no matter how hard you try to lessen it. Vamp; AU; Emotional, NON - CANON. Edward/Bella.
1. Chapter 1

_**'Choices' is the story of one vampire's heartbreaking decision to choose between spending an eternity with his beloved or letting her go to have a human pain-free life. No matter how hard you try to lessen it, there will always be pain involved.**_

_**Set 100 years after the events of 'New Moon' and Bella's cliff diving adventures, Edward takes Bella on a trip to Rio for a second honeymoon. Always one of their favourite places to visit, Edward reminisces on the events of the horrifying moments when he thought Bella was dead. In his mind he flashes back to when Alice told the other Cullen's news of Bella jumping off the cliff, Jasper goes to Edward in Rio to bring him home to Forks. This is the story of Jasper's efforts to console him and help him realise his and Bella's true destiny.**_

**Inspired by the Lyrics of 'Someone Like you' by Adele.**

**All lyrical credits go to Adele and the respective writers.**

**Credits also to SM for loaning me her characters.**

**All other work is mine.**

* * *

_**EPOV**_

Stepping into the apartment I had stayed in over 100 years ago, I couldn't help but be besieged by memories. Last time I was here, one of the worst events of my life had occurred. Those days , so long ago, but still fresh in my memory, Bella had still been human. I had mistakenly thought that leaving her had been for 'her own good'. If only Alice could have seen the heartbreak I would cause for Bella, myself and all of those that loved us, I would have never made my snap decision.

Although Bella had repeatedly told me that nothing I ever did could stop her from loving me with her entire being, I'd never believed that it was truly possible that she could love me as completely as I loved him. Until that moment, on that fateful day, I had not known what true heartbreak was.

_The soft rapping of Jasper's knuckles knocking on the door of my hotel room had slightly startled me. I could hear his thoughts loud and clear. His pity and sympathy for me in my heartbreaking loss of my soul mate Bella, was sickening to me. I did NOT want any of it. What I wanted was to have Bella here in my arms, not lying dead in a morgue._

_I refused to believe that Bella would have willingly jumped off a cliff. Sure that Jacob had something to do with her death, I would find that dog and rip him to shreds with no dignity or regret. I'd never trusted Jacob, and always believed he only cared about hurting me and my family. In Jacob's eyes, Bella was just collateral damage in his vendetta against the Cullen's. Believing we were as evil as the vampires who had killed his mother in cold blood 15 years before, nothing that Bella, or anybody else said could sway him. Bella always refused to believe that Jacob had a bad side, but I knew that he would do anything to get 'revenge'. Bella only ever saw the good in people. It was one of the things that I loved the most about her, but it could also be her biggest flaw and people would often use it to hurt her._

_With these thoughts in my mind I slowly walked to the door._

_I knew if it were possible for a vampire to cry, I would have had tears dripping down my cheeks._

_Jasper was on the other side, and pushed his way in. I knew my family would be worried and that they had sent Jasper to see me on behalf of them, as I would be more susceptible to his help. To their way of thinking, our closeness enabled him to calm my emotions better than anybody else._

_It was the first time I had associated with Jasper since Bella's fateful 18__th__ birthday. That was the event that had led to me leaving her. Believing I was doing what was best for her._

Back then, if I'd only known the heartbreak it would cause for all of us, it might have changed my decision. Alice has always insisted we had to go on this journey to get back to where Bella, Jasper and I belonged. She'd said it was our destiny and all part of the grand plan. Well, I don't know if I believed all that, but looking back, I was happy our respective journeys had led Bella and I back into each other's arms.

Bella had been alone when she went cliff diving. She'd seen Jacob and all the other Quilete boys do it many times, and had asked them why they do it. They'd simply replied that it was'the rush'. So while Bella knew it could possibly kill her, she'd wanted to try it, for the adrenaline rush and in an attempt to be with me again. Bella later told me that back then, she'd have done anything to be with me again, be it through her mind or dying a 'true death' she wasn't afraid. Years later she would tell me that at the time she thought she'd lost me. Since she that I didn't care for her anymore, nothing else mattered and that she'd be with me one way or another. Even knowing that I'd asked her to look after herself. I thank god every day that she didn't listen to me when I'd asked her to look after herself without me around to protect her, 'for Charlie's sake'. If she had listened, we wouldn't be living the life of eternal bliss that we were now.

_"Edward."_

_"Jasper. "_

_I paused. I could sense the calm emotions he was trying to send out to me._

_"Stop it Jas. You know that won't work on me."_

_I was begging him now. He knew that his particular abilities had no affect, although that knowledge didn't stop him from trying. What he was doing was coming from the best place, but all he was doing was causing me more pain._

_I shut the door and turned to look at Jasper. He had made himself comfortable on the small suede couch in my hotel room, and was currently looking at me. He had leaned his elbows on his knees and was leaning his chin on his tented fingers, as he looked at me imploringly through his amber eyes._

_"Edward. I've come to take you back to Forks. You should be with your family and with your love. How can we help when you're 3000 miles away from us? "_

_His statement made me laugh at him like a maniac._

_But that didn't stop Jasper._

_"Edward...please...I beg you. Bella needs you now more than ever."_

_Those final 7 words stopped me in my tracks._

_" Bella needs me? Really Jasper that's your argument for getting me home? The LAST place I want to be right now is Forks. There's too many memories there for me, of Bella...of us...our short time together. How can I go back...especially now? There's nothing I can do for her now, Alice saw her DIE, Jasper. I saw it in my own mind. She's dead. Not vampire dead. REALLY DEAD. There's no coming back from that."_

_Jasper looked taken aback at the conviction in my speech, but even that didn't stop me from rallying on him, and releasing my pentup anger over Bella's death._

_" When I left Forks... and her...I was doing what I thought was best. To save her life. All I did was cause her more pain. And now...it's over and soon I'll join her. I can only hope that all the good I've done will somehow atone for my sins. Then I can be with Bella once again. For eternity."_

_"But E-E-Edward-"_

_Jasper was at a loss for words. I wasn't sure what he was trying to say, but I'd clearly frustrated him._

_"What Jas? You're going to say that Bella wouldn't want me to join her? She'd want me to go on? I refuse to live an eternal life without her on this earth. NO. I WILL go to Italy. They'll help me. They're the only ones who can."_

_Jasper was furious now, and he raced across the room to me and grabbed me by the shoulders, trying to shake some sense into me._

_" EDWARD! Will you listen to me for once? READ MY MIND. Don't close yourself off to my thoughts like always. READ IT!' Jasper was visibly angry and frustrated at my inability to hear what he was trying to say._

_I opened my mind to Jasper's thoughts._

_NO._

_It couldn't be possible._

_I know knew what Alice had seen. I'd missed this vision, when I closed myself off to my family so that I could deal with my grief, in my own way, on my own terms._

_Bella was alive._

* * *

_**It's been a while hasn't it?**_

_**I've been pretty much MIA for the last 2 years. I don't tweet at all anymore and have pretty much left the fandom.**_

_**But this came to me and I had to get it down...so I wrote around the baby sleeping, housework and schoolwork. Amazingly bubs is turning 1 next week...time goes fast these days.**_

_**As always let me know what you think... even if it's to tell me to fuck off back to my hole lol.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Here we go... Chapter 2.

We'll get to meet a little of Bella this chapter.

* * *

**_FLASHBACK_**

What Jasper? H-H-How?!"

_I was stuttering now. I'd seen what Alice had seen. She was my twin and we were connected always. Her visions were NEVER wrong._

_Jasper smiled at me now, clearly more relaxed now that I'd opened up to him._

_"She didn't die like Alice thought she saw. Her vision was wrong."_

_'What? How is that even possible?" I shrugged his arms off me and sat down on the nearest chair and asked him to explain. _

_Jasper smiled at me._

_" Edward, that's what I was sent to tell you." _

_He started pacing back and forth across the room, becoming more agitated as he took each step. I could see the emotions and passion clear as day in his amber eyes._

"When Alice got the vision of Bella dying after the cliff jump, we all assumed that Bella's future fading away in Alice's mind, meant Bella had died. But that wasn't it."

_" Not by a long shot."_

He stopped and slowly turned to look at me.

"She's been spending so much bloody time with that wolf that it affected Alice's visions!"

Jasper was animated now, his excitement clearly palpable. He sounded just like my sister.

"She can't see the future of wolves or shapeshifter's. Jacob's heavy presence in Bella's life affected this. We were going to wait for you to come back, but then Alice had a vision of you going to the Volturi in Italy, and I had to come, my brother. To try and stop you from making a fatal decision that would affect all of our destinies."

" You know that the Volturi would never harm you Edward. Aro values those of us with special gifts too much for that.

_He would only force you to join them.__  
_

_His dream is to bring you and Alice into the Volturi fold and we could NEVER allow it. you know this._

_If that were to happen, the Volturi would be unstoppable and there would be even more unrest in our world than there is already. _

_A lot of vampires are already extremely unhappy with the way the Aro and the Volturi rule us. It's the entire reason Carlisle left them to find his own coven. _

_You joining them would be the thing that starts the vampiric civil war that's been predicted for centuries. _

_It would result in a massacre of our entire family and of our kind. Alice saw it all as soon as you made your decision Edward."_

I stood back from Jasper in shock, whilst I took in all this information.

Bella was alive?

_This changed things. IMMENSELY._

I couldn't stay away from her, but I also couldn't return.

I was in no-man's land. Lost, destined to forever be away from her, in purgatory.

" But Bella? She's OK? Have you seen her Jasper?"

I was whispering now, the emotions of Jasper's visit starting to effect my entire being.

He smiled at me now.

"No, Edward I haven't. Alice went to see her and Jacob was there.

_Bella asked him to leave, which he wasn't entirely happy with but he did as she asked. _

_I guess he really does care for her a lot , much more than we originally thought."_

He continued on with his story as I sat there in shock that my love truly was still living.

" Anyway, as soon as he left Alice spoke to her, just the two of them.

_She still loves you completely Edward. She says when she puts herself in danger, she sees and feels you there with her. _

_By doing these silly stunts, she thinks she can be with you once again, as she believes you don't care for her any longer. _

_When you told her you didn't want her or care for her, she believed you. _

_That made sense to her. She still sees herself as 'plain', and doesn't understand why you would love her as you do. _

_She honestly has no idea of her true worth to you, or to us. To our entire world. _

_Once changed she is changed, she will be our salvation! _

_It's been foreseen for centuries Edward."_

He paused from his speech, and looked at me directly.

" Edward, How can you deny yourself from eternal bliss ? Deny our world the chance to overturn the Volturi and their unjust rule? "

"You have to return Edward. It's the only way. Bella is your destiny."

I turned my back on Jasper and look slightly over my shoulder at him.

Still shattered by all this information, I spoke softly to him.

" But how can I go back Jasper? After everything I've done and the amount of pain I've caused her ?"

Jasper moved closer to put his arms around me. I relaxed into him, and in the warmth of his embrace, I felt a small comfort.

" Because Bella is your destiny Edward. And as much as you try to deny it, you can no easier walk away from Bella, than I could walk away from Alice.

How can you doubt this?"

_I sighed heavily, while I tried to process all that Jasper had just said._

" I wish that was true.

_Jasper, I love Bella with every fibre of my being, have done ever since we met. _

_I cannot deny that . I LOVE HER . That fact has never been in doubt._

_The possibility of spending eternity with her fills me with a joy I have never known. _

_But when I am with her she faces eternal damnation and danger. _

_How can a destiny like that be a happy one? _

_For ANYBODY?"_

"Change her, Edward. It's the only way. Make her a vampire. Like us. It's the only choice."

I looked at him as he said this.

He couldn't possibly be serious.

" NO , Jasper. I won't condemn her to an eternity of this !

_Look at us. How we have struggled with the thirst!_

_Given the choice, Would you have chosen a life like this for Alice?"_

Jasper looked at me and sighed. I could clearly see him losing patience with me.

He was firm in his beliefs that Bella would eventually be one of us, to spend eternity as a vampire.

"YES, I would Edward.

_Without being 'condemned' as you say, to this life, I would never have found the other half of my soul, my Alice. _

_I would risk anything...BE ANYTHING...for her. _

_Were you the human and she the vampire, Would you not want Bella to turn you ? _

_You would. I KNOW IT."_

I couldn't refute what Jasper was saying.

_I knew that were I human...I would want Bella to turn me.__  
_

_Without a doubt.__  
_

I pulled myself from my brother's embrace and looked at him knowingly.

It took all of 2 seconds for me to answer.

" When you put it that way, Jasper...YES. I would.

_Eternity with Bella? That would be everything. _

_I tried to live without her, but it's just not possible. _

_I can't live in a world where she's not in it anymore."_

END FLASHBACK

Breaking out of my sad trip down memory lane, I looked over at the window that overlooked the beautiful beaches of Rio.

My beautiful, naked, wife stood in front of it looking out. Hearing me enter the room, she turned with a gasp.

"Edward. You surprised me. I didn't expect you back so soon. Are you ok?"

I walked over to her, and took her into my arms with a smile.

She still looked as breathtaking to me, as the day I first saw her in the cafeteria of Forks High.

Over 100 years had passed since that day, but she still looked as breathtaking to me as when I first saw her in the cafeteria of Forks High.

It seemed so long ago now.

"I'm fine baby, just took a trip down memory lane is all."

She looked at me with a sad smile and slid her arms around my waist.

I could see her emotions reflected in her eyes.

The tears were threatening to spill, as we talked about what NEARLY was.

"When I think of how close we came to losing each other Edward, it breaks my heart.

If you hadn't come back from Rio for me... well I could have married and been happy, but I would never have been complete.

You are the other half to my soul.

Everything would have been so different Edward.

For you.

For me.

_FOR EVERYONE._

Edward, I tried to forget you, to move on. It just wasn't possible. You are my _everything_."

I smiled again, and lifted her into my arms.

"You are my destiny, Bella Cullen.

Without you I am just a shell.

Without you, our world would be a much different place, one that would still be governed by Volturi rule.

You made us all take a stand against them and destroy the power they once had.

But more than that Bella. You are my other half, and I will love you for eternity."

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THOUGHTS?


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